More than 200 forces veterans who ended up sleeping rough on London’s streets have been helped into housing and employment over the last year.

A £300,000 funding package from City Hall was allocated to help former services personnel into temporary hostels, long-term supported accommodation, jobs and training.

Veterans have historically been among the capital’s most entrenched rough sleepers, but charities and the Mayor have targeted them.

Government figures this week showed that London had 543 regular rough sleepers last year, 22 per cent of the national total. It was the first year that the number in the capital fell — by three per cent — although it rose seven per cent in the rest of England.

Boris Johnson said the plight of homeless veterans, many of whom have had relationship breakdowns, bereavements and mental and physical health problems, was “particularly tragic”.

He said: “They fall on very hard times, they’ve served their country, and often they’ve ended up on the streets. This problem is not going away. There are large numbers of people coming on to London’s streets. We’ve got to stop them getting entrenched.”

Tory Assembly member Gareth Bacon, who campaigned for the funding, said: “There are people returning home who are suffering from a range of social problems, including homelessness, and we owe it to them to help them get back on their feet.”

An estimated 50 veterans have used the Mayor’s No Second Night Out campaign, 25 are being helped by his social impact bond for rough sleepers, 72 were supported by a £42,000 grant to Veterans Aid and 82 have been helped into supported accommodation or treatment facilities.

Ex-soldier ends spiral of despair

Former soldier David Tovey, 39, revealed how he was finally helped off the streets.

“I was in the Army for six years, mostly as a chef. After leaving in 1997, I opened a bar and restaurant and was a head chef at various venues. Then I had a stroke and had to stop work. I was diagnosed with colon cancer and neurosyphilis and had a heart attack. I had chemo and the cancer is in remission, but I became very depressed and in 2012 tried to kill myself five times in a week and was then diagnosed as HIV-positive.

“I was trying to study, so I was getting into rent arrears. I ended up sleeping in my car and then on the streets in London for four months.

“A parking attendant let outreach workers know about me. They were able to help me into housing via the Mayor’s No Living on the Streets scheme, delivered by St Mungo’s. That team gave me a place to stay and supported me, alongside the Pilion Trust and Veterans Aid, into temporary housing at the West London Mission, where I am now.”

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The changes have been under discussion for several years and were due to come into effect in April but have been delayed amid the controversy. The regulator is due to decide next month whether to implement them in 2015.

53% of householders would be willing to pay £3,350 extra for a home with greener features according to new research published by the Energy Saving Trust.

However,

Phil Spencer give advice on making your home energy efficient.

It’s not location, location, location. In the South West it’s all about insulation, insulation, insulation

Despite suffering from some of the country’s worst weather conditions, people in the South West are missing out on savings of hundreds of pounds.

A recent survey from npower found that two thirds of people from the South West describe their homes as inefficient and 59 per cent admit they don’t know how to solve the problem.

Despite the fact that residents in Bristol who made changes to make their home more energy efficient saved, on average, a whopping £710 per year, and those in Taunton £275 a year, npower revealed that only 13 per cent of people surveyed installed a new boiler last year. Just 31 per cent in Bristol installed loft insulation and 20 per cent made improvements to their wall insulation, while in Taunton only 29 per cent of people installed loft installation and 35 per cent making improvements to their wall insulation.

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As the 100th anniversary of WW1 approaches, will academies and schools be teaching the guardians of the future about WW1?

I believe that all children should be taught about WW1 and how it has shaped our views, life and country.

I recently watched, with my two sons, aged 15 and 12, the excellent BBC production – Britain’s Great War, presented by Jeremy Paxman. All of us enjoyed it and found it very informative.

I was surprised however to find that in both the schools my boys attend they simply ‘skirt over’ WW1 in the curriculum, which is quite astounding and in some ways disrespectful of all the fallen service personnel.

We pay tribute every year at the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, to all those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and safety. Surely we should educate our children on how this most respectful memorial day was born out of the horror that was WW1?

All three of us will be watching the further offerings from the BBC on WW1 and using the vast information available via the BBC website.